Combination cigarette case and implement



Sept. 23, 1952 M. LAvANlsH 2,611,480 coMEINATIoN CIGARETTE cAsE AND IMPLEMENT Filed Sept. 20. 1948 @MMM E ,asbl ma. m fu Y I l l| INVTOR. WMM @75E/QW Patented Sept. 23, 1952 COMBINATIONCIGARETTE CASE AND ""SIMPLEMENT Mi9hes1f .LeYehiSh. Cleveland 0h?" Application September 20,-1918,-SeriallNo. 50,080

. 5 @eine This invention comprises a novel .combination cigarette .Caseland implement, wherein .the `.irn-

:plement element .comprises an integral element such a,combination strueture inv which the implement element forms .an operativeelement of A the cigarette oase structure when associated therewith in .a condition inlwhich it is normally inoperative. to perform its implement function.

,In .carrying my invention `4into practice. Iy con- .-.temp1ate the lprovision of a cigarette ca se of .largely .conventional ystructure involving Athe pro- ;.vison ofy a holding member arranged interorly of the cigarette case for normally holding the .cigarettes in .position .withinthe case when ,the

case, is open. v IfIoWever, I constructthe said holding device or .member in .two cooperative units or parts, oneof which unitsor parts comprises .a penknifeiorlike implehient,r end the other .0f Wwhich units or ;pa rtscomprisesa sheath or case Ynormanently attached to the -;cigarette case, adapted to Cooperate with theiolade .element. or .portionofthe implement; to receive. the same. in

.olosedproteeted and concealed condition, while the .remaining .portion ofP the implementcooperyates with thesheath vunit to provide a unitary holding ,device yfor holding `cigarettes in the jcase Fwhen the latter. is open.

v Otherobieets, a..dvanteees,and features of the .invention will appear from the following detail description taken in conjunctionfyvith theaccompanying drawings,in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing a .ciga- .rette A case .in Open condition and embodyingv my invention, this-,view showing l the Sh'eath and. im- :plement units in .their cooperative relation .;to form vtheiinitary, cigarette holding device.

v Fgure 2 is a view simi1ar.to.Figure 1 ,showing the blade elementA of ,the implement .unit partially Vwitlidrawn. from the sheath .unit,.'il1ustrating.the V'mannerxin .Whichthe implement unit is separated for useforitsirnprlement function.`

y FAigure-'Bis 'a' sectional vieni taken through the cigarette case When-iinfclosed condtiomaportion gfih holding sieiieiefbeihe.ehovilmseeeehhnd e reihen. ihereeflbeine Sheen in! elevation (Cilaos- 38) f Figurefl is a viewsimlar to Figure 1, )ont illustrating a modiiieation of the invention.

I nfovv referto the .accompanying drewne, and

.more nartieule 'yat this time to Figures 1, 2, and 5 :e thereof. :The eigarette cese there shown and generally desiehatedbvihe numeral .l oompliees areeeptaeie norti'on 2 desighed i0 reeevea plurality Yof .cigarettes as Ashown. .The Cigarette Aease .l .also ihelueleee. @over member d hheedas et to t1 1e reeepteelemembeh- .Suitable eeteh and lat-.eh ,means designated.- 6 and. y'l are nro,- vided, respeetively, on Ythe reeepteele. 2 and. the ooi/ehrhernher, the catch member 6, having e fnger ehgegiheielemehha operable toreleese the .-,eeteh 6 from leiehedreleton with the ,late h 1 whenit iedeeired. to onen the eovergofihe eigerette eeee.

The .hinge me-ens hier hineedly .eohneetihg the cover li to the receptacle 2 comprises alhinge ein 8 and .hinge portions .9 and l 0 respectively eesoeieted. ith-the .cover eend receptacle 2 .and

' elly eooheratiheWiihhehhge pin 8- eediyeenheetedio Wthe.eine is a cigarette gfievee generally designated by the nu- 1. I l Thlehol ,neoevieelLgenerauyperforms theueuel f uhetion .of ,cigarette holding cie- Yiees je, 11.1,l.er1 v.provided. in .Cigarette eases of .conrenieheleooetru on. ,this funetionbeine to eneiaeef the ie hositonedin the receptacle ee eretiesiherein when the cover Whirl Fieureelahd 2 to expose hereeepieele ?.ioview for selec- U E v,IeIov/jeyer, .theholding device Jliieof nevel. eoheirueiion in accordance with my -HYQHOIL lehm Qomleheiwo V separable units consistingnof an implement unit ,generally deieneted the. h arhere1 .l 2,and asheeth unit 3 substantially the same as `the width of the chamber II, and the thickness of the blade element I4 at the location I4a being substantially the same as the corresponding dimension of vthe chamber I'I. Thus, when the blade element I4 is slidably inserted into the chamber II of the sheath unit I3, the interior walls of the chamber I7 snugly engage the portion Ida of the blade element I4. The frictional engagement of the inner walls of the chamber II with the blade element I4 inserted therein serves to maintain the two separable units I3 and I 2 in rm association to provide a unitary cigarette holding device II in the relationship of the units I2 and I3 illustrated in Figure 1, the device II as a whole being hinged to the hinge pin 8.

The handle element I of the implement unit I2 is enlarged in relation to the dimensions of the blade element I4 so that Ithe handle element I5 has substantially the same exterior dimensions as the sheath unit I3. The handle element II may thus serve as an abutment for abutting engagement with the end I8 of the sheath unit I3 for limiting the inward movement of the blade element into the sheath unit I3 with the blade element inserted into the chamber II after the manner indicated in Figure 1. The making of the handle element I5 of exterior dimension corresponding with the exterior dimension of the sheath portion of the unit I3 makes Ithe units I2 and I3 appear as a single integral structure when the said units are in their relationship illustrated by Figure 1.

A spring member I9 in the form of a coil spring encompasses the hinge pin 8 with one end of the spring I9 engaging the cover member 4 and the other end of the spring engaging the sheath unit I3 adjacent the hinge portion I6, whereby the cover 4 is biassed to open condition upon release of the latch I from cooperation with the catch 6. ITfhe spring I9 also serves to bias the holding device II toward the receptacle 2 whereby the device I'I is resiliently or yieldably engaged with the cigarettes contained in the receptacle 2 to retain the cigarettes therein when thel cigarette case I is in the open condition of Figures 1 and 2. The handle element I5 of the implement unit I2 is curved inwardly as indicated at 2U, at the free end of the handle element I5, toward the interior of the receptacle 2 adjacent the catch 6. Y

In the use of my invention, the cigarettes 3 are normally retainedin the receptacle 2 by engagement of the holding device I I with the cigarettes, even when the cigarette case is in open condition of Figure 1. When it is desired to remove the cigarettes from the receptacle 2, the curved end 20 of the handle unit I5 may be engaged by the fingers of the user -to lift up the device I I against the action of the spring I9. When it is desired to employ the implement unit I2 in its function as an implement such as a knife or the like, the handle element I5 is engaged by the fingers of the user to pull it rightwardly, having reference to Figure l and 2, to withdraw the blade element I4 from the sheath unit I3 after the manner illustrated in Figure 2.

l In the modification of Figure 4, the same device I I comprising the implement unit I2 and the sheath unit I3 is utilized, but in addition, I have provided separate holding fingers 2I and 22 hinged to the hinge pin 8 and arranged to lie one on each side of the holding device `I I in parallel relation thereto and in yieldable engagement with the cigarettes 3 contained in the receptacle 2, the holding fingers 2| and 22 being biassed by spring means similar to spring means I9, not shown, for such yieldable engagement with the cigarettes 3, after the manner in which the device I I is yieldably engaged therewith.

In the use of the construction of Figure 4, the holding means 2l and 22 and II are lifted up by finger engagement with the free ends thereof against the action of the spring means, for withdrawal of one of the cigarettes 3 from .the receptacle 2. In the event that it is desired to utilize the implement unit I2 for its purpose or function as an implement, only -the device II is lifted up by inger engagement with the free end 20, and then the implement I2 may be disassociated from the sheath unit I3 after the manner previously described, and under these conditions the cigarettes 3 continue to be retained in the receptacle 2 by engagement of the holding fingers 2I and 22 with the cigarettes.

It will be apparent that the exemplary constructions of my invention illustrated in 'the accompanying drawings are capable of various modifications within the purview of my invention, and I do not therefore wish to be limited as to their construction except as contemplated within Ithe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A combination cigarette case and implement comprising, in combination, a cigarette receptacle, and a cigarette holding device, positionable to engage and hold cigarettes in place in said receptacle, said holding device comprising a sheath unit and an implement unit detachably cooperable with said sheath unit, and means movably connecting the holding device with the receptacle for positioning said device as aforesaid, said sheath unit and said implement unit each having a portion engageable with cigarettes in said receptacle when said device is positioned as aforesaid.

2. A combination cigarette case and implement comprising, in combination, a cigarette receptacle, a cover for` the receptacle, and a cigarette holding device positionable to engage and hold cigarettes in place in said receptacle, said holding device comprising a sheath unit and an im plement unit including a handle element and an implement element connected thereto, said implement element being slidably insertable into said sheath unit for detachable cooperation of the sheath unit with the implement unit and for independent use of the implement unit when detached from the sheath unit, and means movably connecting said holding device with said receptacle for positioning said device as aforesaid, said sheath unit and said blade element each having a portion engageable with cigarettes in said container when said device is positioned as aforesaid.

3. A combination cigarette case and implement comprising, in combination, a cigarette receptacle, a cover for the receptacle, and a ciga rette holding device positionable to engage and hold cigarettes in place in said receptacle, said holding device comprising a sheath unit and an implement unit including a handle element and an implement element connected thereto, said implement element being slidably insertable into said sheath unit for detachable cooperation of the sheath unit with the implement unit and for independent use of the implement unit when detached from the sheath unit, and hinge means for hingedly connecting said cover and said res ceptacle, said sheath unit being connected with said hinge means for hinge movement of said device relative to said receptacle, said sheath unit and said blade element each having a portion engageable with cigarettes in said container when said device is positioned as aforesaid.

4. A combination cigarette case and implement comprising, in combination, a cigarette receptacle, a cover for the receptacle, and a cigarette holding device positionable to engage and hold cigarettes in place in said receptacle, said holding device comprising a sheath unit and an implement unit including a handle element and an implement element connected thereto, said implement element being slidably insertable into said sheath unit for detachable cooperation of the sheath unit with the implement unit and for independent use of the implement unit when detached from the sheath unit, and hinge means for hingedly connecting said cover and said receptacle, said sheath unit being connected with said hinge means for hinge movement of said device relative to said receptacle, and spring means cooperating With the sheath unit to yieldably urge said device into engagement with cigarettes contained in said receptacle, said sheath unit and said blade element each having a portion engageable with cigarettes in said container when said device is positioned as aforesaid.

5. A combination cigarette case and implement, comprising, in combination, a cigarette receptacle, a cigarette holding device comprising members, each having a portion adapted to engage cigarettes in said receptacle, one of said members comprising a sheath iinit, another of said members comprising an implement unit detachably cooperable therewith, and means movably connecting the holding device with the receptacle, combined with a cover for said receptacle, hinge means for hingably connecting said cover and receptacle, the sheath unit being associated with said hinge means for hinge movement of said device relative to said receptacle, and a holding nger associated with said hinge means for hinge movement of said finger relative to said receptacle, said finger normally positioned in parallel relationship to said device for holding cigarettes from displacement when the implement unit is displaced from the sheath unit.

MICHAEL LAVANISH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,015,830 Penney Jan. 30, 1912 1,705,309 Parsons Mar. 12, 1929 1,919,099 Elliott July 18, 1933 1,930,854 Lagerholm Oct. 17, 1933 1,953,879 Elersich Apr. 3, 1934 2,079,141 Zakodiakin May 4, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 337,231 Germany May 27, 1921 

